Los Angeles – The Echo boasted an incredibly stacked lineup on Wednesday evening, hosting two of the Pacific Northwest’s hottest new indie bands: Deep Sea Diver and Radiation City. Seattle, Washington’s Deep Sea Diver technically served as the opener for Portland, Oregon’s Radiation City, but the club in Echo Park was packed from the moment Jessica Dobson (pictured above) and company launched into “Notice Me.” Both Deep Sea Diver and Radiation City released new albums this month. Deep Sea Diver dropped its sophomore album Secrets on February 19 via Sub Pop Records, and Radiation City’s fourth album, , was released on February 12 through Polyvinyl Records.
Jessica Dobson and the rest of Deep Sea Diver took the stage first and immediately launched into the first two songs from Secrets: “Notice Me” and “Wide Awake.” The opening song has a deceptively hooky chorus and bubbling bass line that stands alone during the chorus. The second track features a metronomic rhythm backing and an extended jam towards the back end of the song. While the vast majority of the set was pulled from the band’s latest album, there were a few choice cuts from their 2012 release, History Speaks. Highlights of the band’s set included the tropical-punk inspired “You Go Running,” from that 2012 LP, and the powerful, haunting “Body on the Tracks” from Secrets.
Dobson has served as a member of The Shins – James Mercer has even made a guest appearance on one of her songs – but there is a wide gulf between the music of The Shins and the music of Deep Sea Diver. While The Shins made their mark by reimagining the straightforward pop music of the 60s and 70s, Deep Sea Diver is a lot more aggressive and has a deeper root in experimental music.
Headliners Radiation City have a sound that reinvents old-school rock ‘n roll that was popular in the 50s and early 60s. While the band’s sound is thoroughly modern and has actually begun to incorporate more 70s and 80s glam influences, there are slight tinges of doo-wop and classic R&B interspersed in the sound of older Radiation City tracks. The quintet split the stage right down the middle, placing one female member and one male member on each side, with the drummer squarely in the center of the stage. At house left were guitarist/vocalist Cameron Spies and vocalist/keyboardist Elisabeth Ellison, who constitute the original core of the group. At house right were keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Patti King and bassist Randy Bemrose. Anchoring the middle of the stage was the band’s new drummer, affectionately referred to (to the great amusement of the audience) as “Tasty T.”
Radiation City covered a lot of ground throughout their set. The five-piece touched on older albums and introduced the audience to newer songs. The band’s latest record, Synesthetica, has a futuristic and purposefully-plastic sound that is perfectly reflected in the album’s seductive artwork. The appropriately titled song “Juicy” was one of the night’s highlights. It features a playful, wordless chorus and a funky, bluesy transition riff. Taking the cake as the best performance of the night was Ellison’s vocal prowess on “Milky White.” Before breaking into this masterpiece, she took a deep breath and confessed, “This song is going to kick my ass!” Ellison seriously looked a little stressed about getting through the song (remember, this is one of the first shows on tour behind these new songs), but it proved to be no big deal for Ellison; she nailed several of the obviously difficult vocal lines that are scattered throughout the track, building momentum from the loud cheering of the clearly impressed audience.
Those in attendance at The Echo had the chance to see two of the most promising young bands in the alternative scene. While Deep Sea Diver and Radiation City are still finding their place among the greater pantheon of artists, expect big things from these clearly talented artists!
Catch both of these bands as they tour North America and Europe, from March to May. Both Deep Sea Diver and Radiation City have tour pages on their Facebook profiles.
Photo Credit: Matt Matasci for Best New Bands
Matt Matasci
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